A metallic material such as Si or Sn capable of alloying with lithium and having a high charge and discharge capacity has been suggested as a substitute for graphite in electrodes for lithium secondary batteries. Recently, it has been reported that by alloying Si with a highly conductive metal, volume expansion of the electrode upon charging the battery is reduced which prevents the electrode from being pulverized and improves the conductivity and the cycle characteristics. It has further been reported that an alloy including Si or Sn can be processed to obtain an amorphous or microcrystalline structure in order to obtain good battery characteristics. (See Japanese Patent Laid-open Publication Nos. H10-294112 and H10-223221).
However, a battery's characteristics may be dramatically deteriorated depending upon the condition of the electrodes even though the battery is fabricated by using a material including Si or Sn.